Father Lini Day, celebrated on February 21 every year, is a public holiday in Vanuatu. The day commemorates a prominent figure in the history of this South Pacific nation — Father Walter Lini. Did you know that Father Lini was a priest? Yes, before he took charge as the first Prime Minister of the newly formed independent nation of Vanuatu, Father Lini was a ‘Raga’ Anglican priest. From his early days, he observed many injustices against his fellow islanders and wanted to make a difference.
One of the prominent personalities from Vanuatu was Father Lini, a former Anglican Priest. Given that Britain and France were jointly colonizing the island, his greatest worry was the selling of indigenous territory to outsiders. Father Lini founded the New Hebrides Cultural Association with the help of Donald Kalpokas, John Bani, and other islanders to bring about political reform and drive out the colonial forces. Through his association, he published mouthpiece articles that raised awareness of the importance of independence and ignited the minds of the populace. Later, this group evolved into a political movement that gave rise to the New Hebrides National Party — later known as the Vanua’aku Pati.
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